In April 2014, my husband Steve and I welcomed our second child, our son, into our family. This was an unexpectant event since my due date was not till mid-May. We spent 3 and a half long weeks in the NICU due to severe respiratory failure. It was a traumatic experience for both of us to see our baby boy incubated with wires surrounding his small body. It was by far one of the hardest times in our family's life. He is almost 11 years old, and for him and all other preemies, I am participating in the Boston 10K to raise funds for the BWH Friends of the NICU. I am so lucky to work within the BWH NICU utiliting these funds to support NICU Families is numerous ways throughout their traumatic journey. 

The Smith Family Neonatal Intensive Care Unit is the largest NICU in Massachusetts caring for nearly 3,000 premature or ill infants every year. While the medical breakthroughs have led to impressive results, we recognize that a NICU admission is not only a long and challenging road for the neonate but for their caregivers and siblings as well. Supporting these families through this journey is an important part of the care that we provide. 

The BWH Friends of the NICU program provides many benefits to families such as free meals up to 5 days a week, gift cards and toiletries, books, welcome bags for each family with necessities, materials for making footprint charm necklaces as well as hosting NICU family dinner events, educational sessions and so much more. In addition to items to help ease the NICU journey for families, donations to The Friends of the NICU program also ensures that we have adequate items that promote developmentally sensitive care for the babies in our unit such as visual/auditory mobiles, books for families to read with their infants in a variety of languages, swings, blanket swaddles and more.

The funds also support the program Project Milestones. This program gives the opportunity to families to create fond memories marking their infants' first holidays by capturing special photographs in festive attire and props. I am proud to have been part of writing an abstract paper which was accepted and displayed at the Gravens Conference in March. 

We welcome you to join us in support of this program so that we may continue to provide these wonderful benefits for our NICU families here at BWH.